Bye Bye Barry
by Dana Hale
Summary: A collection of separate stories of how Barry exits Eddie's life and Jamie mans up (There are no plot continuations between stories). Story #5 up, more to come?
1. Story 1

Before he lost his nerve, Jamie put his finger on the button to buzz Eddie's apartment. Just as he was about to push it, he felt someone's presence coming up from behind him along with the wafting smell of a freshly baked pizza.

"Jamie…uh…hi…" Barry said with a surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here?"

Jamie inwardly groaned. Not again. This guy was everywhere, seemingly stuck to Eddie's side like a tick. Something within Jamie snapped and he went into full-on territorial mode. Eddie was _his_ girl, _his_ future, not Barry's. She just didn't know it yet because he had been such a coward in telling her how he really felt about her. Which was why he was here to talk to her.

"I wanted to check up on Eddie, make sure she's feeling okay," he half lied. Of course he wanted to do that, but he also wanted to lay out everything he had been thinking about these last few days since she had been shot. Eddie was pushing him away, and he wanted to get to the bottom of why. And he just couldn't hold in his fear any longer; the fear of losing her. Losing her not only to a possibly fatal gunshot wound if not for her vest, but to some other guy. Like this guy standing in front of him, who got to drive her home from the hospital and take care of her after she was injured, when that was supposed to be his job.

"Oh. Well, I can assure you, she's fine. We have plans for tonight," Barry's usual over-done smile was replaced this time by a smart-ass smirk. Barry was no dummy, he knew that Eddie had feelings for Jamie, and the way Jamie was staring him down now made it obvious that those feelings were reciprocated, although Barry didn't understand why they were not acted on.

Jamie noticed that not only was Barry carrying a pizza from one of Eddie's favorite pizzerias, he was also carrying an overnight bag. "Uh huh. So I see," Jamie replied, his eyes boring into Barry's, ready for a fight.

The two men stared each other down. The thought of this guy sleeping with Eddie was killing Jamie. He narrowed his eyes in disgust. "And just what are your intentions toward Eddie? You ghost her and now all of the sudden you want her? What's your game?"

"What are you, her dad on prom night?" Barry bit back with a laugh. "I don't have to answer to you."

Barry reached for the buzzer but Jamie quickly shoved his arm away. "You DO have to answer to me. Because I'm ALWAYS going to watch out for her and have her back."

"Oh, you mean just like you did when she got shot? You don't HAVE anything," Barry challenged.

Jamie's fist twitched. That was enough right there for Jamie to throw a punch, but somehow he restrained himself, thinking back to a past wedding reception gone wrong when he had the same exact punching instinct.

"You're wrong and you know it," Jamie confronted. "You know how she and I feel about each other, don't you? It's why you stopped seeing her to begin with. Because we have such a strong bond that you couldn't even break through. But now you're back like an annoying house fly. So WHAT'S YOUR GAME?" he spat.

Barry didn't miss a beat. "Oh, I got game. Something you've clearly never had with her or you two would be together. Her getting shot- she's vulnerable right now, so she's easy. Plus she's got a hot ass."

Jamie couldn't resist any longer and cocked his arm, ready to wail on him with a right hook. But a small, hurt voice coming from the sideline stopped him from swinging.

"Barry?"

"Eddie!" Barry nervously said. "Hey! What are you doing out here, baby?" he asked as he walked towards her. "It's cold out, you shouldn't be out here without a coat on," he finished, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Go inside, I brought us pizza, I'll be up in a minute. Jamie and I were just getting to know each other better."

She pushed him away. "Please leave," she said coolly.

"What? Eddie…oh come on! You didn't hear any of that, did you? I didn't mean…."

"LEAVE!" she yelled.

He backed off and stared suspiciously at Jamie, then at Eddie. "Yeah. Right. Okay. You know what? You're not even worth it."

Eddie watched him as he walked away. When he was out of sight, she turned and started walking back to her building.

"Eddie?" Jamie asked as he ran after her. "Wait! I need to talk to you!" He grabbed her gently by the arm but she brushed him aside.

"Not now, Jamie. I…I can't do this right now."

"Eddie…please? There's so much I need to say that I should have said a long time ago."

She turned to look at him, not even hearing what he just said, her tears threatening to fall. "What is it with me?" she asked him furiously. "Exactly what is it that's wrong with me? Why doesn't anyone want ME just for ME? I guess he's right- I'm not worth it. Why is it that the guy I want and love the most values our partnership more than me and doesn't want ME? So I'm forced to move on with trying to find some other soulmate but they only end up using and abusing me for ONE THING. I'm done, Jamie," she cried, angrily wiping her tears off her face. "I'm tired and I'm DONE. I need to be alone. Please leave me alone." Her back now to him, she started to run up the steps.

"I love you!" he blurted out loudly and with reckless abandon, causing her to stop in her tracks and slowly turn around.

"I love you," he said quieter but more firm, showing his seriousness by the way he stared deeply into her teary eyes.

She was frozen in place, looking lost and not quite sure she could believe him, so he continued to walk toward her to close the gap, all the while repeating the phrase that she had so longed to hear from him. "I love you."

He reached out and brushed her tears away with his thumb and held her face in his hands. "I love you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers and wrapping his arms around her. "Please tell me I'm not too late in telling you," he begged. "I can't lose you."

As he held her tight, a calmness overcame her. In his arms she felt like she was finally home. Everything was about to change as she allowed the white flag of surrender to fly. "You're not too late," she whispered in his ear.


	2. Story 2

Of course he would come right over. He could never say no to her. Her voice sounded so sad, but at the same time torn with hesitancy and maybe even tinged with a little bit of embarrassment. Just the very fact that Jamie hadn't been invited up to her place in a long time made his heart hitch, wondering why all of the sudden she preferred his presence over Barry's who seemed to constantly cling to her these days. Jamie had taken so many rain checks that he wondered if he tried to cash one, would it bounce? She had no time for him anymore outside of work. It deeply troubled him and he knew he was losing her. And just when he had finally come to his senses in wanting to declare his love to her, there had never been a right time to do so with Barry in the way.

But something was off now. He had the very distinct feeling that Barry was suddenly out of the picture. And that got Jamie's mind reeling. There was always a fine line that he walked on whenever she was dating someone. He was always relieved for her to be single again, because in his own selfishness he had always wrongly assumed that she belonged to him only. But to see her get hurt in the process was never fun. And some of the guys she dated were complete jerks. It just never added up and it boggled his mind how most of them treated her with total disrespect and never appreciated her for the amazing woman that she is.

It was late when he knocked on her door and she opened it, looking at him deeply for the first time in months. She looked tired.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he answered back, with a slight smile to break the ice.

She stepped aside and he moved forward into the inviting space of her living room. She sat heavily on the couch and he wordlessly joined her.

Eddie took a deep breath. "I feel like I owe you an explanation. Or…something." Eddie confessed. "I know I've been pushing you away. I'm sorry."

"Eddie, you have a right to live your own life…I get it." Jamie downplayed her apology, even though it hurt to say it. The phrase " _I'm just your work husband_ " bitterly floated around in his brain. After all, she had once told him that he was "so much more" than just her partner and best friend.

Eddie let out small laugh. "No. You don't get it. You really don't. And that's the problem."

"Okay. I'm confused. Are you apologizing to me or blaming me?"

Eddie sat there and shook her head. He allowed her a minute to gather her thoughts.

"You'll be happy to know that Barry won't be around anymore. He moved to Seattle."

"Oh?" he asked, trying to seem surprised that this visit had anything to do with discussing a certain someone named Barry.

"To be with his girlfriend," she finished.

"Oh…" he repeated in disgust. What a two-timing son-of-a…, Jamie thought. How could anyone do that to Eddie?

"She moved there for her job a few months back and Barry thought they were over- couldn't do the long-distance thing, but…he missed her terribly. He was just using me to try to get over her. Didn't work apparently. He…um…he proposed to her. They're getting married."

That sadness he had heard in her voice over the phone was now evident in her face.

"Eddie, I'm sorry…"

She searched his face to see if he really was sorry. He had been horrible at hiding his jealously this whole time.

"Are you really?" she asked a bit harshly.

Jamie backtracked and shrugged. "I…I just don't like seeing you get hurt."

Her face softened a bit. "Well, don't be sorry. See...the thing is.." she stopped her train of thought, not sure if she was ready to confess the next part. She looked into Jamie's eyes just as hers were glazed over with tears threatening to fall. "The thing is…I can't be mad at Barry because I was using him for the same reason."

Jamie never liked it when Eddie cried. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.

A lone tear dripped down her face and she quickly brushed it away with the back of her hand. "I've told you how I feel about you, but all I get from you is that our partnership is more important to you than anything else. I've had to accept that and go along with that, thinking that maybe things could change for us later. But it's been years and nothing has changed. I'm tired of waiting. So I have to get over you. And I was trying SO HARD with Barry. He was a decent, sweet guy. Someone I could have grown to love, even though he would have been a second choice. Jamie, you have to know that any other guy is always going to be a second choice. Barry even knew that but he was willing to give us a try. But I wasn't enough for him. I haven't been able to find anyone that wants to love me, cherish me. Tell me I'm their soulmate. I just keep getting dumped. So if it's not going to be you and it's not going to be Josh or Barry, then it has to be someone else, and I'm getting scared. What if I can't move on? Why can't I find someone to do that with?"

 _ **Because WE belong together,**_ Jamie wanted to scream. He swallowed hard instead. Her words hit him squarely in the heart like a sledge hammer.

"God, Eddie…" he gasped in a whisper. He reached out and took her hand in his but she wouldn't look at him. "That's what you think- that I don't want you? How could you think that?"

She tore her hand away from him in anger. "What else would I think? You've said you have feelings for me, whatever that means, but you aren't willing to DO ANYTHING about it!" she yelled.

"Now wait a minute…we BOTH agreed not to do anything about it!" he raised his voice in defense. "We didn't want to ruin what we already had. So why did you AGREE with me then?"

Eddie blinked back the tears. "I only AGREED because that's what YOU wanted! It was the only option you were giving me! I was the one that decided to be the brave one to lay out all of my feelings and you immediately shut them down by saying it was a bad idea! I felt like a fool, Jamie!"

Jamie stared back at her, not knowing how to voice his stupidity and regret. He was the one that was the fool, not her.

Eddie was waiting for him to say something, but she mistook his silence for his answer. "Well, okay then. Back to square one. This time I'm not going to be the fool that kisses you to get you to understand what we're missing out on. Have a nice life, Partner. See you at work," she said sadly as she moved to get up from the couch.

Jamie stood up quickly and grabbed her arms so she wouldn't walk away. "You don't think that it killed me that Barry was the one to take you home from the hospital? That you wanted him over me when you got shot? That you didn't need me? That you brushed me aside? That you called me _'Just your work husband'_ – God, that one hurt, Eddie. And that you could have died, and for a brief moment I felt the sheer terror of believing that you were lying there at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood gasping on your last breath and I never got to tell you that I am totally, deeply, truly, madly in love you and I have been ever since I met you? That I couldn't hold you in my arms and tell you all of this because Barry was holding you in HIS arms? The word 'jealous' doesn't even cover it."

"What the HELL, Reagan? Why are you doing this to me? MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND!" she yelled, confused and not quite sure that she could believe what he was saying. He had never said this many words to her about his feelings, especially with such heated passion.

"I'm tired, too, Eddie. Of waiting. Of fighting my feelings for you. I thought we could make it work by just being partners. I was stupid to think that you would always just be by my side both at work and off duty. I even tried to convince myself that we had this unspoken understanding that I wouldn't date and you wouldn't date, that our hearts belonged to each other and we could just hold on like that until one of us got promoted or something. But I was wrong. So wrong. And you started dating and I couldn't speak up…and I realize I've been slowly losing you because I've never made my feelings to you clear and I couldn't make the decision one way or the other. But I know now that I need to make the decision final. And I can't lose you. I'm saying screw the partnership. I want YOU."

"What?" she cried in disbelief.

"I want you." He slid his hands down her arms to grab hold of her hands and gave them a squeeze. "I have _always_ wanted you. Please stop trying to find someone else, it's driving me insane. We belong together. I love you, Eddie. I love you _so much_. I need you."

With the tears now streaming uncontrolled down her face, she looked at him questioningly, begging him with her eyes to say more so that she could fully trust his confession.

"You once accused me of not having any serious relationships because I was still hung up on my ex-fiance…the real reason is that I'm hung up on YOU. Only you. Have been for years, and that's never going to change."

"You are such a pain in the ass, Reagan," she dared to joke and actually crack a slight smile.

Jamie smiled and wiped her tears off her face. "I mean it, Eddie."

"Prove it," she challenged.

He answered by devouring her in a kiss that took all of her fears and doubts away.


	3. Story 3

Jamie sullenly walked down the hallway of the 12th back to his office after a full day without Eddie. He didn't know how he was able to focus enough to put together a productive day on the job, but he got through it. She was all he could think about. Was she resting like the doctor told her to? Was she in any pain? What if she had been the one to die? How and when was he going to tell her that he loved her and wanted to move forward in their relationship? Was Barry with her? Had he spent the night with her? How serious were they getting? These were all questions he didn't have answers to, and it was driving him crazy. He had a plan in place for tonight though, and he was hoping she wouldn't turn him down.

His heart fluttered as he rounded the corner and saw her shuffling papers on her desk. Now would be the perfect time to ask her about tonight. "Hey, you're back!"

"Hey!" she smiled at him. "Um, no, I'm just here to finish filling out some of the paperwork," she paused, and her smile faded. "And I had to get fitted for a new vest."

The gravity of what that meant fell heavy on him. _She got shot at point blank range._ _She could have died_ , he thought again for the thousandth time. _I could have lost her forever._ He stared at her, reliving the sound of gunshots and the sight of her tumbling down the stairs and landing on the ground in pain, gasping for air. It had been haunting him in his sleep and it haunted him now, even though she was standing alive and well in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" he choked out, the fear still clenching his heart.

She could tell by the look on his face that he was desperately concerned. She wanted to put his mind at ease. "Sore. But I'm good."

He nodded, wishing she would have chosen him instead of Barry to watch over her after she was released from the hospital.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He finally smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, I did, yeah. Having you gone has me thinking about a lot of things."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like…how I missed hearing you sing Springsteen songs all day long in the car. Thought maybe you'd like to go see him on Broadway with me? Fourth row!" He fished out two tickets from his coat pocket and waved them in the air.

Her jaw dropped and she gasped in excitement. "GET OUT!"

He laughed at her as she grabbed the tickets from him to see if they were real.

"That is, if you're up for it. The show's tonight. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea…if you should be resting. But I know how bad you've been wanting to go."

"Hell yeah I'm up for it! Jamie, this is soooo cool! I've been trying to get these tickets forever! How'd you get them?"

"I'm not telling you!" he smirked as he grabbed the tickets from her. The tickets set him back a whole month and a half's wages, but every penny was worth it to see how happy he just made her.

"Eddie! Hi! There you are!" Barry interrupted from behind, escorted in by a fellow cop.

Jamie hoped the cringe in his face went unnoticed. He turned around to greet Barry with the most convincing smile he could muster, which didn't amount to much.

"Oh, hey Jamie," Barry said awkwardly, extending out his hand.

"Hey," Jamie replied, squeezing harder than what was normally acceptable in a handshake, on purpose.

Barry then walked over to Eddie and gave her a quick peck on the lips, the effect of which caused Jamie to feel like a knife just stabbed him in the heart.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" Eddie asked, surprised and happy to see him. That fact alone was what hurt Jamie the most.

"Well…" Barry paused with dramatic flair as he pulled two tickets out of his pants pocket. "How'd you like to join me tonight for Springsteen on Broadway?" His smile was the biggest and brightest Jamie had ever seen on anyone. It made Jamie sick to his stomach.

Eddie shot Jamie a look of trepidation. "Wow! Barry! This is…" she stammered.

Jamie couldn't take it. First Barry took her home from the hospital, then spent an evening with her doing who knows what, and now Springsteen? If she chose to go with Barry over him…he had to do something.

"I, uh…" Eddie continued to flounder.

"Sorry, Barry," Jamie stepped in. "She's already going with me." He pulled out his two tickets to show him.

Eddie stood wide-eyed between the two men, wondering how much more awkward this was going to get.

Barry's smile fell as he looked toward Jamie and then back at Eddie. She wouldn't look at either of them. "Oh," was all he could say, severely disappointed. Jamie didn't feel sorry for him one bit.

Eddie couldn't believe that Jamie just spoke up like that. He was being territorial and rude to Barry, not letting her choose who she wanted to go with, and she should have been mad at him for it. She was surprised to find that she wasn't mad. It made her heart hopeful. Jamie would always be her first choice. This is what she had been waiting for- for Jamie to step up and make a move toward a personal relationship with her. The ball had been in his court for the longest time. Maybe this was his way of returning the ball with a strong backhand swing. He was fighting for her. Finally!

In an ironic turn of events, it was Barry and not Jamie that found himself with his tail between his legs and scurrying off in a hurry, defeated. "Okay then," Barry relented. "I'll…um…I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Sure, yeah, I'll see you later," Eddie replied.

After Barry left, Jamie spoke up, wondering if she was mad at him. "Sorry. I hope that was okay, I just…especially after the shooting…I _really_ need to spend some time with you and talk to you about some things, and you've been with him so much lately that we haven't had a chance to-"

He _needed_ to spend time with her? Now she started to feel bad for pushing him away. "No, it's alright," she cut him off. "Sorry for brushing you off these past few days. I guess we do need to talk. Maybe we can go to dinner first? I'm starving!"

Jamie was relieved and started to relax a little. "Only if I get to pick," he playfully argued.

"What? No, uh uh. I get to pick."

"You always get to pick."

"Exactly right. So I'm picking."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Let me get changed first. And stay out of the locker room!"

* * *

Dinner was fairly uneventful as they kept things light and stayed away from the topics that they both knew they were afraid to talk about. It wasn't until after Jamie took the last bite of dessert that he put down his fork and grabbed her hands from across the table.

"Eddie, I have to tell you something."

Eddie's heart immediately started pounding away, both nervous and curious for what he about to say next.

"I went out with Erin last night for drinks. She asked me a really good question, and I just can't ignore the answer anymore."

"Okay…" Eddie went on, prodding him to continue. "What was the question?"

"She asked me….if you would have…died…in the shooting instead of Dunlevee, is there anything I would have regretted for the rest of my life that I never told you."

Eddie squirmed a bit in her seat. "Wow…um. That's a heavy, loaded question."

"Yeah," was all Jamie said, staring into her eyes, rubbing his thumbs across the tops of her hands.

"And is there something you would have regretted?" Eddie dared to ask.

"Yes, there is. And I have no idea where your head is at and the timing is horrible because I don't know how serious things are between you and Barry-"

"Jamie, if I think it's what I hope it is, just say it. I want to hear you say it."

Jamie took in a deep breath. "I would have regretted for the rest of my life not telling you that I love you."

Jamie watched her face carefully as the tears began to form in her eyes. She was speechless, but she was still gripping his hands, so he decided to let it all out. "I have for a long time. I just can't bury it inside anymore. Even if it means our work partnership is over. I want to tear down that wall and experience what it's like for us to take that next step. These past few days I've been haunted by the idea that I almost lost you to a bullet, but now I'm also afraid that I've already lost you to Barry."

Eddie squeezed his hands and then let go to brush her tears off her face. She tried to control her crying, but she couldn't stop. His words really shook her up. She couldn't believe he finally admitted what she had wanted to hear all along.

"Eddie, say something. You're killing me here…" he nervously joked, wondering if he just messed everything up even further.

"Jamie, I have waited five years for you to say that to me," she broke out into a smile.

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"The only reason I've been dating is to try to get over you because I thought you'd never say it."

"Get over me?"

"Yeah. It's not working though. And to be completely honest, I don't think I could ever get over you. Jamie, I love you too."

Jamie smiled and laughed out loud. "And here I thought I was just your work husband!"

Eddie kicked him under the table. "Oh my God. That was harsh of me to say that, wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah, you definitely owe me an apology for that one," he chuckled.

Eddie laughed too. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

Jamie looked at his watch. "Well, right now we have to leave for the concert. But after that…we can do whatever you want."

* * *

Eddie loved every minute of the concert. And Jamie loved every minute of watching Eddie love the concert. She knew every song and sang along at the top of her lungs. She wasn't going to have much of a voice left. But she didn't care.

After the encore was over and Bruce left the stage, the house lights came on and everyone started to file out of their rows. Eddie grabbed Jamie's hand so they wouldn't lose each other in the crowd. As they walked out of their row, Eddie caught a glimpse of Barry who had been a few rows behind them. But he wasn't alone. His arms encircled a gorgeous blonde girl. Eddie stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked. Eddie didn't say anything. Jamie's eyes followed over to what Eddie was looking at.

There was Barry, passionately kissing another girl.

"Oh, we definitely need to throw darts at his picture now," Jamie said.

Eddie actually laughed. "You really hate him, don't you?"

"You have no idea."

Eddie grabbed Jamie and kissed him good and hard. "Take THAT, Barry!" she yelled.


	4. Story 4 Part I

Story 4- Part I

 **(In this story I am changing the episode in which Eddie gets shot, and also how)**

Walking the streets of Manhattan on foot patrol with Jamie, Eddie's stomach told her it was time for a break. "Hey look- they have good muffins!" she told Jamie, pointing to a quaint coffee shop tucked in at the end of the block. "Let's take a break."

"I thought I heard your stomach growling," Jamie laughed.

"Just workin' up an appetite keeping an eye out protecting you, Partner. This isn't the first time you've been targeted. I should get paid extra or something being paired with a Reagan."

"Hey- I _might_ be targeted. No one knows for sure, just a hunch of my dad's. But thanks for having my back."

They walked into the shop and stood at the back of the long line. Eddie was already eyeballing the case where the muffins were. "Oh my God, they have the chocolate ones today! Barry bought me one the other day and it's to die for."

At the mention of Barry's name, Jamie's heart sank once again. How long was this thing with Barry going to last? It was getting ridiculous. All Jamie wanted to do was finally tell Eddie the truth of how he felt about her, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it with Barry in the way.

Their radios crackled with the voice of Central telling them to be advised of a black BMW with Jersey plates possibly registered to suspect Dante Sorento.

Jamie and Eddie shared a look. _Black BMW, got it_ , Eddie thought. She didn't know why, but that new fact sent a chill down her spine. She made a promise to herself to be extra alert.

After waiting a few more minutes, Eddie landed her chocolate muffin and Jamie got his iced tea. They walked back out into the sunshine.

"So this thing with Barry," Jamie brought up. "You guys gettin' serious?" he dared ask. He wanted to know the answer and didn't want to know the answer at the same time.

Eddie shoveled a big piece of muffin into her mouth and shrugged. Swallowing hard she answered, "I guess. I mean, he wants me to meet his family this weekend."

"You guess? You don't sound convinced."

"He's really sweet and all. And despite brushing me off at first, he's really good now at making me feel special and spending all his time with me. He's got great qualities."

"But…" Jamie sensed, hopeful.

"But…well, I guess I'm just not feeling that spark, you know? I feel bad because he seems to really be into me, and that's what I've been looking for. I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe I just need to give it some more time."

Jamie's face noticeably scrunched in disappointment. More time? All she did was spend time with Barry.

"What?" Eddie wondered what was up with the look he gave.

Jamie took a sip of his tea. "Nothing."

"No, what? Tell me!"

Eddie had known all along that Jamie was jealous of Barry. And she felt bad for that, because if he were to start seeing someone new she would be feeling the same way. But they had promised each other to keep their own relationship professional, even though it was proving to be difficult and complicated. Eddie wasn't sure if she could move past her feelings for Jamie by dating other people. Did Jamie think that too? Why wasn't he dating anyone? Had they made the wrong decision about not exploring what they could be missing out on? She really wanted to know what he thought.

"I just want you to be happy, is all," Jamie wimped out on his answer.

It was Eddie's turn to show disappointment on her face. She really just wished he could be honest with her about his feelings. She believed he was holding back. All he had to do was say the word and she would ditch Barry. But he refused to go there, choosing instead to suffer in his jealousy. It was frustrating to Eddie. Why wasn't he willing to fight for her?

"Oh!" Eddie stopped in her tracks. "I left my sunglasses on the counter at the coffee shop. I'll be right back."

"Okay, I'll wait right here," Jamie said.

It didn't take long for Eddie to quickly jog back to the coffee shop, grab her glasses, and jog back out. While doing so, she couldn't shake the sudden feeling that something was off, that something horrible was about to happen- to Jamie. And if she were to lose him, her life would be over. Because she loved him and they never had their chance to be together. That strong feeling of love washed over her and ignited every fiber of her being. She was now absolutely certain that she was truly in love with Jamie. And she was terrified.

She spotted the black BMW rounding the corner, coming towards Jamie. She couldn't see who was driving, but it didn't matter. Out of the literally thousands of black BMW's that had to be in the City of New York, she instantly knew that this was THE black BMW belonging to their suspect. And it was barreling closer to Jamie with every second.

Eddie threw her muffin to the ground and haphazardly pushed through the people in her way on the sidewalk, taking off into an all-out sprint and yelling at the top of her voice "JAMIE!"

The driver of the BMW rolled down his window and that's when she saw the gun. "JAMIE! GUN! GET DOWN!"

She reached Jamie and tackled him to the ground just as the gun went off. The driver noted the failed attempt and sped off in light of all the witnesses standing around.

Jamie was completely caught off guard, his adrenaline kicking in, heightening all of his senses. One minute he was just standing there drinking his tea, and the next Eddie had slammed him to the ground and was now on top of him, protecting him as he heard bullets whiz by them. He looked up and saw the BMW disappear in the distance.

"Eddie, you can get off me now," he said, breathing heavily. But she wasn't moving. "Eddie?"

She didn't answer. Jamie rolled over to move her off. "Eddie?" he panicked. Her eyes were closed. His hands quickly felt around her vest and came up covered in blood. "No…No…EDDIE!"

(To Be Continued in Part II)


	5. Story 4 Part II

Story 4 Part II

Danny found Jamie seated in the waiting room of the hospital, completely numb and in shock with eyes red from tears.

"Jamie…" he tried to break through to his little brother while he sat next to him. "Dad sent me over. He'd be here himself but he's at the press conference." Word had spread quickly that the son of the Commissioner was almost gunned down by the latest most-wanted criminal on the streets. "What are the doctors saying?"

Jamie's voice was barely audible. "Likely." He buried his face into his shaking hands and rubbed his eyes, trying to keep it together.

Danny closed his eyes and sighed. What was he supposed to say to help Jamie feel better in this situation? He himself was still grieving over Linda's death.

Jamie lowered his hands to his lap, fingering his hat that held the picture of Joe stuck to the underside. "Danny…she took that bullet for me. For _ME_. How am I supposed to live with that if she…"

"Hey- she's still in surgery, right? That means she's still fighting. Don't give up on her, Jamie. She knows you love her. And she loves you. That's evident based on what she did out there."

Jamie looked at Danny with the saddest face and sniffed back the tears. "You know? That I love her?"

"How could anyone _not_ know? The way you two are with each other? Everyone knows that."

"I've never told her. I've wanted to…I've wasted so much time. And now I may never get to…"

"You'll get to, Jamie. You'll get to."

The two brothers were interrupted by a commotion up at the front desk. "I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! I NEED TO SEE HER!"

Jamie looked up and saw the last person on earth he wanted to see. Barry.

"Sir, you can't see her right now, she's in surgery," the nurse firmly stated. "Now take a seat. You'll have to wait."

Barry gave up and nervously stormed off toward the waiting area, stopping short when he saw Jamie a few feet away. "YOU!" he yelled as Jamie stood up. "This is all YOUR fault!" he ran at Jamie full force, grabbing a hold of his uniform and shoving him hard into the wall.

Jamie started shoving back. "Get the hell off me!"

"HEY!" Danny yelled, getting in between them and separating them. "Knock it off! Settle down! Who is this nut?" Danny asked Jamie.

"I'm Eddie's fiancé!" Barry shouted.

"Oh like HELL you are!" Jamie yelled, pushing past Danny aiming to attack Barry.

"Whoah, whoah, STOP!" Danny yanked on Jamie's arms and held him back. "That true?" he asked Barry.

"Close enough. I was going to propose to her this weekend-"

Jamie madly interrupted. "Seriously? And you think she would have said yes? You've only known her for a month!"

"-but INSTEAD, _this_ guy lets her take a bullet for him! You're supposed to PROTECT her, Jamie!" Barry screamed.

Barry's words hit Jamie hard; worse than a punch to the gut. Jamie just stood there breathless and his body stilled in defeat. "You're right," he stared at Barry. "I AM supposed to protect her. That bullet was meant for me and if I had known she was going to jump in front of it, I never would have let her; I'd GLADLY take that bullet instead of her. Because I love her. And she loves me. Deep down you already know that. So stay away from her! You don't belong here."

Danny stood with his hands on his hips staring at Barry.

"I have every right to be here," Barry claimed. "I love her too."

Jamie jumped back at him, wanting a piece of him. Danny held his brother back yet again and calmly spoke to him. "Not now, Jamie. Not when Eddie's in there fighting for her life."

Jamie took in a deep breath at the mention of Eddie's name. "You can't possibly love her the way I do," he fumed at Barry, pushing him hard in the chest.

"Jamie, ENOUGH. Go sit down," Danny ordered.

"I can't be in the same room with that guy, Danny," Jamie whispered in a huff as he turned to take a seat.

Danny narrowed his eyes at Barry. "You best be staying far away from Jamie then. Go sit over there," Danny pointed. "WAY over there."

* * *

Hours later the doctor finally came out with the news that all three men had been waiting for. "She's remarkably stabilized, but still critical. We lost her two times with all the blood loss but got her back. The bullet was lodged in her right lung which collapsed, so she'll be ventilated until it's proven the lung is strong enough to hold its own. There are no guarantees at this point, there was a lot of damage so it's a waiting game. We'll also have to watch carefully for pneumonia and embolism that could develop."

"Can I see her?" both Jamie and Barry said at the same time. Danny sighed and rolled his eyes, ready for another fight to break out again.

The doctor looked between the two men. "Only one at a time. She's unresponsive and will be for quite some time."

Both men started to make a beeline toward Eddie's room. Danny grabbed Barry roughly by the arm. "Hold it, Romeo. Jamie goes in first." Danny nodded at Jamie to keep moving.

"And just who the hell do you think YOU are?" Barry spat at Danny.

"I'm his brother but also an officer of the law who swore to uphold the peace. So I'm upholding the peace," Danny said as he shoved Barry hard into a nearby seat. "Stay put or else."

* * *

Jamie kept vigil at Eddie's side for over two days, giving Barry zero chance of seeing her.

"How much longer are you going to keep this up, Jamie?" Danny walked into the room after a long day. "You haven't slept, you need to eat, and you smell bad."

"I'm not leaving her," he stated as he held Eddie's hand, his eyes only on her. She still remained unconscious, her chest robotically moving up and down due to the ventilator keeping her alive.

"He's out there again, you know. Waiting to see her."

"I don't care."

"Go home, Jamie. Get some rest. You need to be strong for Eddie, and right now you look a horrible mess."

"Not happening."

"Look, just go get some rest and then you can come back. I won't let him stay with her for long."

"No, Danny."

Danny sighed and tried a different tactic. "You know she'd be pissed at you right now, that you aren't taking care of yourself. Do it for Eddie."

"Will you get off my back?" Jamie raised his voice and finally looked at Danny.

"You need to let him see her."

"Hey, who's side are you on?"

"Yours! Go get some rest, and I'll kick him out when you get back. I'll call you if anything changes. Trust me."

Jamie had to admit he couldn't keep his eyes open much longer. He was still in his uniform from the day it happened, her blood dried and encrusted into the fabric. A long hot shower and a quick nap was starting to sound enticing.

"Fine. But I'll be back in two hours." Jamie stood and kissed Eddie on the forehead, whispering to her for the hundredth time since she lay there that he loved her.

* * *

"Hey Eddie," Barry said quietly as he sat down next to her bed. "It's me, I'm here." He placed a kiss on her cheek and gently took her hand in his. "You need to wake up, babe. There's something important I want to ask you."

He stared at all the machines and wires that were keeping her alive. "You mean so much to me. I know we haven't known each other long, but you've found your way into my heart. I just need you, Eddie. I love you. You need to wake up, please Eddie!"

Eddie thought she heard a voice telling her that he loved her. Her first thought was of Jamie. Was he finally admitting it to her after all this time? She needed to find a way to open her eyes, to get past the fog and confusion and pain she felt to just open her eyes to see Jamie. Why didn't she have the strength to open her eyes?

"I love you, Eddie. Please wake up!" Barry said again after he heard her moan and move a little for the first time.

Eddie's eyes finally fell open, and she went into immediate panic. Why was there a tube down her throat? Why did she feel like she was strapped down to a bed? Why couldn't she speak? Why did it hurt so much? And then she looked over and saw Barry. This confused her even more. Barry? Where was Jamie? And then it all came crashing in on her. The black BMW, the gun, and Jamie. She was in love with Jamie and she needed to tell him. Was Jamie alright? Did he get shot? Why wasn't he here with her? Did he die?

Barry saw how scared Eddie was and wanted to calm her down. "Hey! You're awake! It's okay, you're okay!" he soothed as he stroked her cheek with his hand.

All Eddie wanted to know was where was Jamie? She tried to speak but the tube made it impossible.

"What is it? Are you in pain?" Barry asked, trying to get a read on her frustration.

Eddie shook her head slightly and used all her strength to raise her arm and mimic writing in the air.

"Okay, okay…here," Barry caught on. He found a pad of paper and pencil on the side table next to the bed. He put the pencil in Eddie's hand and held up the paper for her.

With a shaky hand and blurry vision, she was only able to write "J?"

Barry's heart sank. She was asking for Jamie.

"Jamie's not here, babe," he answered.

His answer did nothing to calm her down. Now she was certain that she had not been able to save Jamie's life. Her heart raced and she started to cry.

Barry started to panic himself as the machines she was hooked up to started to sound their alarms. She started to choke and her eyes went wide like she couldn't breathe. "Eddie? Oh Eddie! Hey, calm down, everything will be alright!"

Very quickly the nurse came into the room followed by the doctor. "Her blood pressure is way up. You need to leave, NOW!" the nurse told Barry as she pushed him toward the door.

"Eddie? I'm here, Eddie! Don't be scared! You're okay!" Barry yelled. But the look on Eddie's face said it all. She didn't want him here. She wanted Jamie.

Danny came running and grabbed Barry. "What the hell did you do to her?" he yelled as he looked through the door and saw the flurry of activity around Eddie.

"Nothing! I swear! She just woke up in a panic!"

Danny gave him a stern look, not sure whether or not to believe him. He whipped out his phone. "I'm calling Jamie."

* * *

"What happened?" Jamie ran into Danny terrified.

"She's okay now, they got her stabilized. They took her off the ventilator, said she didn't need it anymore, so that's a good sign, right? But they had to give her a sedative to calm her down, so she's out of it."

Jamie poked his head around the door and saw her sleeping peacefully.

"Geez, Danny, you gave me a heart attack when you called. Where's Barry?"

"Around the corner. Said he needs to talk to you."

Jamie's face showed anger. "Hey, keep it civil," Danny warned. "For Eddie's sake."

Jamie nodded and walked over to Barry. "You're lucky she's okay. What did you say to her to make her so upset?" Jamie asked harshly.

"She was upset because I was there when she woke up and you weren't."

That got Jamie's attention. "What do you mean?"

"Jamie….seeing that look in her eyes…she loves you. It's not right for me to get in the way of that. You two have this history together and this incredible bond that I haven't been able to break through. I've been lying to myself about it. The two of you need to stop lying to yourselves about it too and get together already. You're all she talks about. You're all she wants. Tell her goodbye for me?"

A huge burden lifted from Jamie's chest. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Yeah…okay."

* * *

She could feel a warm hand holding hers. She opened her eyes and blinked, her vision clearing as she noticed a figure next to her, sleeping in the chair that was pulled up close to the bed. Jamie? She must be dreaming, because Jamie was dead. He was killed and she couldn't save him. She squeezed his hand, knowing that once she did, he would disappear and she would become fully awake and the dream would be over.

But the hand squeezed back, and Jamie startled awake, looking into her eyes with both excitement and concern. "Eddie?" he choked out.

"You're here?" she asked, amazed that he didn't vanish into thin air.

He smiled and reached out to caress her face. "I'm here."

"You're not hurt?" she looked at him with confusion. "You didn't get shot? You're not dead?"

He shook his head no. "You saved my life, Eddie."

Tears started to form in her eyes. "I had to. I had to do it. It was like I already knew it was going to happen…I felt that car coming around the corner even before I saw it. I knew he had a gun even before he shot it. And if I didn't do something, I was going to lose you forever. And I'd never get the chance to tell you how much I love you."

"And what was I supposed to do if you had died? How could I have lived knowing that you died from a bullet that was meant for me? Please don't ever do that again because I love you too, and I can't lose you either!" He bent down and kissed her sweetly and gently.

She smiled through her tears. "I guess we've been pretty stupid, huh? Ignoring what's been in front of us all along."

"Barry pretty much said the same thing to me. He decided to walk away. Told me to tell you goodbye for him. So let's not ignore this love we have between us anymore," Jamie said, kissing her again.

"I told you that chocolate muffin was to die for," Eddie laughed.

"So not funny, Janko!" he grinned.


	6. Story 5

Story 5

"C'mon, Jamie!" Eddie whined.

"I said no, Eddie!" Jamie said, exasperated. "Final answer!"

"But you haven't been able to give me a good reason as to why you don't want to go! It's just DRINKS."

"How about because he's your boyfriend and I don't want to be the third wheel?"

Eddie sulked in her seat. "You are NO fun. You could always bring someone of your choosing, you know."

"Oh what a great idea!" he rolled his eyes in sarcasm. "You remember what happened the last time we did a double date? No- take that back. The last TWO times we went on a double date? It just gets too…too…" Jamie stumbled on the right word.

"Weird?" she supplied. "It's only weird if you make it weird."

Jamie kept his eyes on the road as they headed back to the House at the end of their tour. "I don't make it weird, it just IS weird."

Eddie looked out the window in frustration, her exuberant plea now left to fade into a silent treatment.

Jamie looked over at her and saw her wallowing in anger. "Oh, so now you're mad at me."

Eddie didn't even flinch.

"Why is it so important for me to be there, anyway? You have a BOYFRIEND," Jamie said bitterly.

"Forget it."

"No, tell me Eddie. Why do you even want me there?"

Parking the car to the curb outside the 12th, he waited for her answer which was still hanging in the air.

"Because…you're my best friend and I want you to get to know him," she said quietly, watching his face closely. "Things are starting to get serious, and I…" She couldn't continue when she saw the hurt appear in his eyes. Why did this have to be so hard?

Jamie's stomach turned sour. Of all the guys she dated over the past several months, she never mentioned the word "serious" before. Was this finally it? Was this going to be how it went down? She finally found someone else to take his place?

"Your best friend," he whispered. "Oh, so you want my blessing, is that it?" Jamie spat out.

"Jamie…" Eddie murmured. Her heart was torn. If she were truly honest with herself, really all she wanted was for Jamie to fight for her. But if he wasn't willing to do that, she might as well forge ahead with Barry.

"Fine. You know what? I'll go. I'll be there with bells on. See you tonight." He got out of the car and slammed the door, leaving Eddie sitting there wondering now what the hell was she supposed to do.

* * *

Eddie nervously watch the entrance door of the bar while fingering the water droplets on her beer glass.

"Everything okay?" Barry asked, startling her.

"Yeah…" she turned her attention back to Barry. "It's just he said he'd be here."

"Maybe I intimidate him because I'm so strong and handsome," he teased.

Eddie didn't smile. "Hey, come on, I'm just joking," Barry laughed. "I'm sure he's on his way. It will be good to get to know him better. I want to thank him for doing a good job helping to keep you safe out there." He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Hey!" Jamie yelled as he made his way over to the table.

Eddie practically choked on her beer when she turned and saw Jamie. He was holding the hand of a very beautiful brunette.

"Hey Jamie," Barry stood up and extended his hand. "Glad you decided to come! Who'd you bring along?"

Eddie just stared uncomfortably at Jamie's date. She wore a tight mini skirt and a silky blouse that had too many buttons open at the top to leave nothing to the imagination.

"This is Jill. Eddie, you remember Jill, from the 5-4?" Jamie said as he pulled out a chair for Jill to sit, feeling Eddie's glaring stare.

Eddie blinked and registered that Jamie had just asked her a question. Another cop? His date is another cop? She needed to take a gulp of air before answering. "Oh, Jill! Of course. Hi, nice to see you again," Eddie said, lying through her teeth and hoping it didn't show.

It did show, but only to Jamie, who sat down and felt pleased with himself for getting the reaction he had wanted from Eddie.

Two can play at this game, Eddie thought, as she curled up closer to Barry while Jamie ordered drinks for himself and Jill.

After exchanging small talk while downing a few drinks, the music turned soft and slow.

"Oh I LOVE this song!" Jill exclaimed. "Jamie, dance with me!" She already had him pulled up out of his chair yanking on his arm before he could give an answer.

Eddie watched as Jamie smiled and took her in his arms out on the floor, his hands dipping around the hem of her short skirt, holding her tight as she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"A bit bossy, isn't she?" Eddie remarked to Barry. "Jamie doesn't like to dance much."

"Looks like he's having fun to me," Barry quipped. "Would you allow me the honor of dancing with you, Babe?"

Eddie shook off the uneasiness she was feeling and looked at Barry. His eyes were warm and kind, with a hint of flirtation. She smiled back at him and reminded herself that she was here as his date. "Of course," she answered as he gently took her hand in his and guided them out to the floor.

Eddie snuggled up into Barry, trying to get caught up in the moment of the song and the feeling of being held by a man who genuinely cared for her. It wasn't really working. Eddie made the mistake of looking in Jamie and Jill's direction. It wasn't that Jill was just being held in Jamie's arms, it seemed she was plastered to him- could they get any closer? Eddie couldn't quite put her finger on how this beautiful woman hanging on Jamie made her feel. But it wasn't a good feeling.

Eddie closed her eyes to block out the view, but all that made her do was flashback to the feeling of dancing in Jamie's arms while they contemplated what they were missing out on. For the rest of the song, Eddie found herself pretending to be right back in that fancy restaurant, in that fancy dress- black eye and all- feeling the longing and desire and hope in Jamie's embrace as they swirled around the room.

As Jamie turned Jill around the floor, he spotted Barry planting a kiss to the top of Eddie's head while hugging her close, with one hand caressing her back. Eddie looked secure, cozy, and loved, and Jamie shuddered at seeing her like that in the arms of another man. He, too, closed his eyes and was transported back to that night when he had asked Eddie to go dancing as an apology for how he reacted at the wedding reception. Suddenly, instead of Jill in his arms, he pretended her to be Eddie. He knew in the back of his mind this was wrong, and certainly not fair to Jill, but he couldn't help himself. He kept his eyes closed and went with the feeling.

The song ended and the four met back up at the table. Eddie quickly downed another drink, as did Jamie. "Whoah, Babe, " Barry laughed. "How many is that for you?"

"Not enough!" Eddie said loudly. "Hey Jill, how are you at beer pong?"

"Beer pong?" Barry questioned. "What are we, back in college now?"

"What's the matter, Barry?" Jamie chided as he put his arm around Jill. "Afraid to get your ass kicked?"

"Oooohhh, listen to that Eddie! Your hotshot partner thinks he can actually win!" Barry answered.

Despite the foreboding that this was definitely a game that both of them should stay away from while out on a double date with each other, Eddie and Jamie found themselves in yet another competitive game of beer pong. But after several rounds, they were all so drunk that the score didn't matter anymore.

"Hey Eddieeeeee!" Barry roped his arm around her neck feeling giddy. "If you MISS this, you have to KISS your partner!"

"What?" Eddie asked in a dizzying haze.

Barry slapped a ping pong ball into her hand as it was her turn. "Don't mess up, Babe!"

"That would be hilarious!" Jill giggled. "I'd like to see that!"

"On the lips!" Barry clarified. "A nice, big, wet one!"

Eddie looked at Barry and narrowed her eyes.

Jamie rested his elbows on the pool table as he no longer could stay balanced on two feet. "Aw, Barry, C'mon man! That would be like kissing my sister!"

Eddie's jaw dropped in offence. "HEY! I'm a GOOD KISSER," she yelled out, blinking away the double vision. How many cups were on the table again? "Don't worry, Jamie," she slurred. "I am NOT going to miss. Unless…you WANT to kiss me?"

"You wish, Janko!" Jamie fired back.

Eddie held the ball out in front of her, taking a few practice aims in the air, none of which were straight. She let go of the ball and it bounced off a cup and onto the floor. "Damn," she exclaimed.

Jamie watched the ball as it rolled along the floor, coming to a stop right at the tip of his shoe. Shit.

"Ooooooh! That's it! You two know the drill!" Barry placed his hands on Eddie's back and pushed her toward Jamie.

"I won't hold it against you, Jamie," Jill joked. She patted Jamie's back and pushed him toward Eddie.

The two were now standing face to face in each other's personal space. Both knew they were drunk out of their minds, but that didn't change the feelings that immediately sparked between them. Eddie looked deep into Jamie's eyes. Jamie was instantly transfixed to hers, giving her that look of desire that always made her heart flutter. They edged closer and closer to each other. It was like no one else was in the room. It was just the two of them. She could feel his breath on her face. He could smell her perfume. When Jamie changed his gaze from her eyes to her lips, neither could stand it anymore.

When their lips met, it seemed innocent enough as they quickly broke apart. Barry and Jill stood watching in delight over the joke. "Wasn't that cute?" Jill nudged Barry with her elbow. "Okay, so whose turn is it now?" she asked, grabbing a ping pong ball.

But Jamie and Eddie didn't move from their spot. Suddenly Jamie's lips were on Eddie's again. They were drawn together like a magnet, and the kiss deepened. They kept going…and going…their lips crashing into each other over and over. Jamie grabbed Eddie and pulled her close to him. Eddie ran her hands through his hair. She moaned as he pushed her onto the pool table, spilling over some of the beer cups, wanting more and more of her and taking more and more of her.

Barry saw enough. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, grabbing Jamie and tearing him off of Eddie. Eddie sat up from the pool table, panting and adjusting her rumpled up clothes.

Jamie didn't have a clue what to say, but he wouldn't have had time to say anything anyway because Barry threw a punch right to Jamie's face.

"Barry! Don't! No…Jamie STOP!" Eddie screamed, jumping in between the two men, preventing Jamie from slugging Barry back. The three of them ended up in a shoving match.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Jill yelled in her cop voice, trying to break it up.

"You stay out of this!" Eddie pushed Jill away, so hard that she fell backward onto the floor.

"Oh hell no!" Jill responded, scrambling back up and punching Eddie in the face.

The four continued to fight until the bouncer came and kicked them all out after threatening to call the police.

* * *

Barry walked Eddie home. She felt sick. Literally. After spending a few minutes throwing up, she walked into her kitchen and wordlessly accepted the ice pack Barry made for her and placed it over her black eye.

"We need to talk," Barry said.

"Ya think?" Eddie snapped. "I can't believe you hit him!"

"That's what you're worried about? I can't believe you kissed him like that!"

"You're the one who wanted me to kiss him!"

"I didn't force you to kiss him like…like…THAT!"

Eddie slouched in her seat, effectively pleading guilty to that count. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Barry spoke up.

"You love him, don't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she lied. You're the one I'm with."

"And I don't think I should be anymore. I've been picking up on it all along, and tonight just solidified it for me. You're in love with him, he's in love with you, but you're both too stupid to do anything about it. The two of you need to figure it out. So how about this," he said as he stood up. "I'm walking out of here and I'm not coming back unless you tell me to stay. Otherwise, this is goodbye, Eddie."

Barry walked slowly to the door, giving her every chance to speak up. But Eddie remained silent. She watched him walk through the door and he shut it quietly behind him.

* * *

Thank goodness she had the weekend off after having worked doubles earlier in the week. Having to try to explain matching black eyes AGAIN at the House would have proven to be next to impossible. Hers wasn't as bad as the last time, so all she needed was a few days and a lot of makeup and she'd look good as new.

Eddie wasn't surprised that Jamie had gone off the grid. She hadn't heard from him at all, not even a text. When she thought back to the shenanigans of the past night, she felt so embarrassed. And if she felt that way, then she imagined that Jamie must be feeling down-right ashamed. She hoped he had already profusely apologized to Jill for using her that way. Eddie knew she owed Jill an apology as well, but that could wait. She needed to find Jamie and get this all hashed out, otherwise working with him on Monday would be extremely uncomfortable, non-productive, and probably not safe.

Her first guess of where he was proved to be right. The shooting range. She stood behind him unseen as he fired off a round in rapid succession. When he took his ear muffs off, she made herself known.

"You picturing Barry in the center of that target?" she asked as he turned the crank to roll the paper target in.

He turned around startled, not really happy to see her there. "Have been ever since you started seeing him," he grumbled. Jamie was almost always a perfect shot, but she noted that he completely missed the dead center for this round.

"Then how come you missed?" She walked up to the stall next to his and loaded her own Glock. She squeezed the trigger and hit the center fourteen out of fifteen times. Bringing the paper target in, she showed Jamie her success. "I got ya covered, Partner."

"What's that mean?" he asked, looking doubtful.

"I broke up with him."

"Ah. So you're free again to find some other schmuck to date and be your soulmate. Good luck to you," Jamie picked up his duffle bag and started to leave.

"Well, I do need luck because you're my soulmate but you don't want to date me."

He turned around in place and stared at her. He didn't even know what to say.

"What else am I supposed to do, Jamie?" she vented. "I can't wait forever. Maybe you can get by with just being my "partner" and not having a serious relationship in your life, but that's just not enough for me anymore. You gave me no other choice but to start dating other people when you basically said we were a bad idea. What IS a bad idea, Jamie, is us NOT being together. Look at what happened last night. We can't keep doing this to each other."

"I know…" was all he said as he walked away.

Eddie was left to stand there wondering if she was ever going to get through to him.

* * *

She wasn't expecting Jamie to show up at her door late Saturday night. When she let him in, his arms were full of thick heavy books.

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused as he pushed his way past her and plopped all of the books on her kitchen table. He turned to look at her.

"You're right, Eddie. I don't want to date you."

She frowned. "Great. Glad we got that out of the way."

"I want to marry you."

"Say what?" she blinked.

"I'm being totally serious right now, Eddie."

"Okaaaayyy…" she waited for an explanation. He caught her completely off guard.

He drew closer to her and grabbed her hands in his. "I love you, Eddie. I love you so much that I want to be with you both on the job and off. And that's why I got stuck and indecisive because I dreaded having to end our partnership when that part of our lives is so amazing. But I've been wanting so much more with you. So I did some research today." He pulled her over to the table and grabbed one of the books, opening it to the page that was bookmarked. "Read this section right here and tell me what's missing."

She realized she was reading from the patrol guide, but wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be seeing. "Jamie, I don't get what you're trying to tell me…this just talks about prohibited sexual harassment between male/female paired partners."

"I'm saying that there's no written rule against partners being married to each other."

"No…that can't be right."

"I looked in every guide, every rulebook, and it's not written, Eddie."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jamie Reagan, the Boy Scout who always preaches that it's a bad idea for partners to be in personal relationships with each other. And that's just relationships. Marriage is a whole other level- you wanna talk about your judgement being clouded. And you can't possibly think it's healthy to be with your wife 24/7."

"How long have you loved me?"

She softened her gaze at him. "A very long time."

"And has that fact changed your professionalism at all on the job with me?"

"Well…no," she thought out loud. "But it sure makes a mess of things outside the job," she pointed to his black eye.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "I have loved you since the day I met you. And we've been working together all this time and have the best arrest record in the House."

Eddie started to get excited over this idea. "You really think the Brass will go for this? Your Dad?"

"I'm not saying it's going to be an easy sell, but there is no written rule against it. I say we take advantage of it while we can."

"Well if that isn't the most romantic marriage proposal I've ever heard…" she smirked.

"Sorry…here, let me start over." He held her close and tenderly kissed her until he had her melting in his arms. When they broke apart, he planted his forehead to hers. "Eddie, you are my whole world. I love your spunk, your tenacity, that spark in your eye, your toughness, your gentleness, your playfulness, your love of life. I love how you know me more than I know myself. I love that you automatically give me your tomatoes and hand me the salt without me having to ask. I love how you back me up. I love how you set me straight. I love how you invade my space. I love it when you tell me what to do. I love how you're the first person I want to see in the morning and you're the only person I think about when my head hits the pillow at night. I love how we work together. I love the way I feel when I'm with you. I love-"

"Jamie," she interrupted with a laugh. "Are you ever going to get around to just asking me the question?"

"I'm gettin' to it!" he pulled back a little in their embrace and smiled. He held her face between his hands. "I love how beautiful you are. I love you as my best friend, I love you as my partner, and I would really love to love you as my wife. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she punctuated each yes with a kiss in between.


End file.
